The NEW Leadership residential summer institute is based on a six part curriculum
designedto educate college women about opportunities in politics and public life, and
empower them to assume leadership positions. The residential requirement is a central
component of the summer institute, which creates an intensive learning experience that
is impossible to replicate in a series of one day programs. Students live together for five
days and have the opportunity to get to know one another, share ideas and opinions,
and reflect on the days program together over meals and in the dorm. The curriculum
uses a variety of teaching tools to motivate college women to think about politics in new
and interesting ways.
Unfortunately,
given the traditional definition of politics, and the
existing biases in historical reporting, many college
women today know little about women's role in politics
and policymaking beyond the feminist movement of the
1970's.
To
combat the misconception that women have only recently
become politically active, we look several issues:
the number of women participating in electoral politics
at various levels,
the barriers to women
entering electoral politics,
the particular problems
facing
women of color,
and the historical participation
of women in grass roots activism and the formation
of
social welfare policy.
Through
discussions, videos, and interactive games we encourage
the students to examine the connection between community
service and policy making and share information about
the important civic contributions women have made to
American politics throughout history.
Strong
role models can serve as one of most powerful sources
of inspiration. During the summer institute, political
women with a variety of leadership roles and experiences
come to speak and interact with the students. Our political
leaders include not only elected women and government
officials, but also grassroots activists, issue advocates,
lobbyists, campaign managers, political analysts and
more.
Speakers are encouraged to talk with students,
rather than at them, and are invited to stay after
the panel to join the students for a meal or informal
discussion. The political women at each program are
diverse in age, race, ethnicity, lifestyle and political
ideology. We strive to insure that each student sees
at least one speaker they can personally identify with.
Among
the most important participants in the summer institute
are the Faculty in Residence (FIRs), political women
leaders who agree to stay for the duration of the program,
eating meals and living in the dorm with the students.
This arrangements serves to break down formal barriers
and encourages a more cordial relationship between
FIRs and students. During evening and meals FIRs answer
questions, encourage discussion, and expose students
to different leadership styles as well as the private
and personal aspect being a political leader.
At
NEW Leadership, because the groups are small and the
experience is intense, students are continually challenged
by difference. During the program students will interact
with people who have different ideas, different backgrounds,
and different life experiences. Despite the apparent
diversity of many college campuses, most students spend
their social time with people who look and think like
them. The curriculum includes a formal diversity session,
where students explore and discuss their experiences
of race, class, gender, sexuality discrimination and
oppression. They work on strategies to overcome the ideas
and attitudes which divide them, and examine the importance
of building alliances and coalitions across differences.
The speakers, FIRs and NEW Leadership staff also reflect
a range of races, ethnicities, ideological perspectives
and lifestyles. We encourage students to get to know
others who they can identify with as well as those who
challenge their world view.
Students
participate in workshop and hands-on projects to develop
their leadership skills. At NEW Leadership New Jersey,
students participate in a training session on effective
communication. They get advice on overcoming the fear
of public speaking, and tips on making an introduction
and how to organize a good speech. They have the opportunity
to practice these skills throughout the program as
each student is assigned to introduce one of the program
speakers. Other skills building workshops include conflict
resolution, networking and advocacy training.
Students
are encouraged to build on their NEW Leadership experience
by developing leadership projects on their home campuses
and in their communities after the summer institute.
During the institutes, students spend time brainstorming
project ideas and giving each other feedback. Students
develop an action plan based on their own leadership
abilities, what they have learned about political leadership
and issues that are important to them. In some states
the summer institutes also include small groups projects
which require students to do research, organize information
and make a presentation to the rest of the participants
at the end of the program.
As
the technology develops and students become more technologically
savvy, it is a challenge to keep this component of the
curriculum up to date. A few years ago, the students
participated in an internet session, where they were
given an overview of the NEW Leadership website and introduction
to the internet and doing research online. Many of the
2001 and 2002 summer institutes gave students an assignment
and time in a computer lab to do research on their own.
Future summer institutes may incorporate a webcourse
or other online activity.
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